
January 14, 2020
Western Hemisphere Regional
- Robert Soutar, “How China Is Courting New Latin American Partners” (Dialogo Chino, Americas Quarterly, January 14, 2020).
Instead of going it alone on symbolic projects, a range of Chinese institutional investors now see benefits in operating more like their international counterparts, working in partnerships and seeking long-term returns
- Anna Giaritelli, “Us Border Patrol Chief Carla Provost to Quit This Month” (The Washington Examiner, January 14, 2020).
Provost planned to retire in December from the 21,000-person organization, but the 24-year Border Patrol employee was forced to put her plans on hold due to infighting at CBP over whether a white or nonwhite person should replace her
- Nick Miroff, “Trump Planning to Divert Additional $7.2 Billion in Pentagon Funds for Border Wall” (The Washington Post, January 14, 2020).
The Pentagon funds would be extracted, for the second year in a row, from military construction projects and counternarcotics funding
- Bob Egelko, “Border Wall Opponents Ask Appeals Court to Stop Funding for Construction in California, Three Other States” (The San Francisco Chronicle, January 14, 2020).
Environmental advocates and border residents opposing the wall filed an emergency motion on Friday asking the appeals court in San Francisco to halt the funding
- Maggie Haberman, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, “Trump Plans to Divert Additional $7.2 Billion From Military to Wall” (The New York Times, January 14, 2020).
The money would be stripped from Defense Department construction and counterdrug projects, the officials said
- John Burnett, Marisa Penaloza, “Border Wall Threatens National Wildlife Refuge That’s Been 40 Years in the Making” (National Public Radio, January 14, 2020).
Pieces of that wall will go directly through the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge because it is land already owned by the federal government
- Michelle Hackman, “Trump Administration Celebrates Wall Construction, but Invisible Barriers Have Shown Greater Impact” (The Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2020).
The wall, they say, can help slow migrants who hope to evade capture. But asylum seekers—who make up the majority of crossers for the past half-decade—are looking to surrender
- Angela Kocherga, “Black Hawk Helicopters Take to the Border Skies” (The Albuquerque Journal, January 14, 2020).
The U.S. Army is transferring three Black Hawk helicopters to the El Paso Air Branch to replace older UH-1N Huey helicopters now being retired
- “Asylum Decisions Vary Widely Across Judges and Courts – Latest Results” (TRAC Immigration, January 14, 2020).
Although just over 60 percent of all asylum applications were denied in this period, slightly less than half of applications – just 49 percent – in the top five courts were denied
Colombia
- Juanita León, “Los Cabos Sueltos Sobre las Chuzadas Denunciadas por Semana” (La Silla Vacia (Colombia), January 14, 2020).
Quizás por la mención de que la información ilegal supuestamente llegaba a un político del Centro Democrático, entre todas las reacciones del partido que lideró la Seguridad Democrática no hay ninguna que demuestre curiosidad por indagar a fondo
- “Gobierno Dio Detalles de su Reunion Con Timochenko” (El Tiempo (Colombia), January 14, 2020).
Según el oficial, el golpe lo habrían planeado desde Venezuela alias el Paisa e ‘Iván Márquez’, dos líderes de la exguerrilla de las Farc
- “Colombia: ‘Significant Strides’ Towards Integrated Peace, un Envoy Tells Security Council” (United Nations, January 14, 2020).
He informed the Chamber that pervasive violence in conflict-affected areas continues to threaten peace and pointed to several “profoundly worrying developments” by outlawed armed groups
- Alicia Liliana Mendez, “General Martinez No Descarta Relacion de Otros Militares Con Chuzadas” (El Tiempo (Colombia), January 14, 2020).
“No tengo la menor duda de que es la retaliación por denunciar y prevenir hechos de corrupción al interior del Ejército, en los que mucha gente deja de lucrarse de contratos, eso genera molestias”
- “Sigue Debate por Cifras de Lideres Asesinados” (El Nuevo Siglo (Colombia), January 14, 2020).
A finales del año pasado, el Gobierno nacional presentó varios resultados de seguridad de 2019 y afirmó que hay una reducción de los asesinatos de líderes cercana al 25%
- Alejo Vargas Velasquez, “¿por Que la Dificultad de Controlar los Territorios?” (El Colombiano (Medellin Colombia), January 14, 2020).
Tiene que ver con el modelo de construcción de Estado que se dio a través del tiempo, con un énfasis fuertemente centralizado
- “Disputa Armada Tiene a Mas de 2000 Personas Confinadas en el Pacifico Narinense” (Semana (Colombia), January 14, 2020).
En Magüí Payán, Roberto Payán y Barbacoas hay un aumento significativo de homicidios y desplazamiento. Comunidades enteras de las zonas rurales están dejando sus tierra para refugiarse en Tumaco y el pacífico ecuatoriano
El Salvador, Guatemala
- “Silva Pereira: Regresa el Fantasma del Narco en la Politica Salvadorena” (El Faro (El Salvador), Nomada (Guatemala), January 14, 2020).
El exdiputado pecenista Roberto Silva Pereira, deportado por Estados Unidos, ya guarda prisión a la espera de un juicio pendiente por lavado de dinero y cohecho. Su regreso reabre uno de los pasajes más oscuros de la historia política salvadoreña y guatemalteca
Guatemala
- Sofia Menchu, “Arrest Judges Linked to u.n.-Backed Anti-Graft Body: Guatemalan Panel” (Reuters, The New York Times, January 14, 2020).
Giammattei’s stance on the matter will send an important signal on his anti-graft agenda as he begins his four year term
- Sandra Cuffe, “Guatemalans Demand Arrest of Outgoing President for Corruption” (Al Jazeera, January 14, 2020).
Jimmy Morales’ immunity will lapse for just a few hours on Tuesday before he’s sworn into Central American Parliament
- Kevin Sieff, “The U.S. Is Putting Asylum Seekers on Planes to Guatemala — Often Without Telling Them Where They’re Going” (The Washington Post, January 14, 2020).
Many arrive with the same question: “Where are we?”
Honduras
- Eric L. Olson, “Honduras: A Renewed Maccih With Teeth?” (AULA Blog (American University), January 14, 2020).
Honduran civil society, previously skeptical that MACCIH would work, is now largely on board
Mexico
- Ana Cristina Ruelas, “Hasta Encontrarles” (SinEmbargo (Mexico), January 14, 2020).
Las cifras presentadas por el Subsecretario Encinas no son suficientes para que podamos entender el contexto en el que vivimos
- Nick Phillips, “‘Remain in Mexico’ Adds Hurdles and Frustration. But Is It Serving as a Deterrent?” (Nogales International, January 14, 2020).
In Nogales, Sonora, migrants and their advocates say that MPP has caused some to give up their goal of seeking protection in the United States. Others, while frustrated, remain undeterred
Venezuela
- Anatoly Kurmanaev, “Rural Venezuela Crumbles as President Shores Up the Capital and His Power” (The New York Times, January 14, 2020).
President Nicolás Maduro is channeling resources to Caracas while abandoning rural Venezuelans, who are often without electricity, police or currency
- “Departamento del Tesoro Sanciona a Luis Parra y al Combo de Los “Diputados Clap”” (Tal Cual (Venezuela), January 14, 2020).
El enviado especial de EEUU para Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, había advertido que se generarían nuevas sanciones contra quienes obstaculizaron la elección como jefe de la Asamblea Nacional de Juan Guaidó